on Reid, billionaire CEO and former teenage dream, had invi

harming. Fu

t was a

erable led to heartache. And she'd alrea

s. No

rissa waved a folder

d. "Sorry.

tired comes from thinking about someone

ile. "I'm thinking

mh

she just found out she wasn't invited to her own wedding. You

ays like t

unless someone's gotten

her eyes. "H

lling h

office buzzed

e swept through the top floor in a storm of silk and steel, a s

ectly in front

" she

oked up

ice at that exact moment, p

on, darling. I've reviewed the Horizo

moment. Lily, could you bring in tha

rse," L

eyes na

the air around them cr

a. He simply took the folder, glanced through it, and said,

ou," Lil

then, gaze lingeri

eath c

spond, Mira breezed

he next two hours," she said. "

urned to Lily. "That

before catching the icy

ist appointment, leaving Lily to coordinate an impromptu board call.

m., Jaxon

e stil

p, startled.

d to temp. You're working

"Just earnin

've always been like th

paused on

r now," she

answer r

now. "I saw you in the library once. Senior year. Y

used to say I only l

d I liked sa

f silenc

tell me it was

ave changed

udied he

- SEVEN

tudents went home, but Jaxon stayed late for the sketching elective

ndered in b

tattered notebook and a hand-me-d

ed, looking up f

said, clea

"You're the girl w

y who draws be

gri

s the b

Secret smiles in the hallway. Late nights at the library where he'd

acelet. It was simple-silver chai

he said. "You'll get out of

uild empires,

Only if you c

for the first t

weeks later,

dbye.

sil

SEN

e a choice,"

ou," Jaxon said. "Yo

My brother was barely eating. You were living in a ma

uld've

let you see

ened. "You never ne

ame the kind of man who only surro

u

didn't

is drawer and pulled somet

eart

ned it

the same ch

here were m

eart. A tin

still in my old room," he said.

n't reme

bered something. And wh

ed. "Why are you s

n't want to l

twisted

eak, there was a sharp

ting to the bracele

-am I inte

. V

stepping back. "I

apartment, staring at the ceiling

hone, rereading he

i

emem

i

's dan

ing was the firs

ng Jaxon

eak her